The Legend
by DaniDBR11
Summary: Every fairy knows the legend of how Artemis Fowl and his friends defeated Opal Koboi and saved the world, but now, for the fisrt time in the People's history, this legend is available to the Mud People. Read it...at your on risk.
1. High Hopes and Bad Dreams

Opal Koboi sat quietly in her cell in Atlantis. There wasn't anything interesting to do in that damned place, so she would always spend her entire day sitting at her bed, trying to kill the security guards out of boredom.

There were cameras everywhere, even in the bathrooms, so Opal couldn't do anything without the guards knowing. It did make a little sense; she WAS the public enemy number one after all.

She was forbidden to talk to anyone at prison and her food was delivered through a small window. She rarely left her cell, and when she did, it was just so someone could check her room for any suspicious items.

The last time she had gotten out was a year ago (13 months to be exact), when Turnball Root escaped, but it was only for a brief moment, as she was soon locked on another stupid cell with the exact same appearance as the last one.

She hated that place; she hated that room, those guards, those cameras…

But most of all, she hated Artemis Fowl.

It had been 5 years since the last time she and that filthy mud-boy had clashed, and still she hated him like it was yesterday. Him and that annoying Short girl, of course.

Even with all the surveillance, there was one thing the People weren't able to keep from her. She knew about her past-self, who was running around in freedom while she was stuck in that forgotten place. She that as soon as her other self knew she was arrested, it would try to free her.

And the best part was she already _knew_ the plan.

It was very simple to deduce what Past-Opal would do; after all, they were one and the same. She simply asked to herself ''what would I do?'', and the solution appeared as fast as lightning. The only thing she _didn't _know was _when _the plan would take action, but it had to be soon. It had to. She wasn't going to let herself rot in hell, at least, not without taking Haven city and a certain mud-boy and his friends with her.

She allowed herself a small grin. She had always been a patient pixie; surely she could afford to wait just a little longer.

* * *

Captain Holly Short woke up screaming.

Her heart was beating heavily, and she was covered in sweat and tears. For the last two weeks the nightmare had haunted her, showing her long forgotten bad memories and creating brand new ones: her dead parents, Artemis being beaten by a gorilla, Opal Koboi laughing as she killed Julius Root…all these memories came back to her in just one night of sleep.

But the worst image of all was something that didn't happen wet: she was walking in a burning city, completely alone. From time to time, she thought she could see Butler or Foaly from afar, but they always disappeared before she could reach then.

After walking for a long time, she would reach the only place that wasn't burning, a giant round square, with a smiling Opal waiting for her at the center. The pixie would then turn to her and say:

''You see? You're alone again; all of your friends are gone. You weren't able to stop me this time, captain Short. If only you had been a little faster…''

Suddenly, she would start laughing and the ground would open up, making Holly fall in an endless darkness.

Then, she would wake up.

Those images would still pop up in her head from time to time, and she feared she was becoming paranoid, she had even called Foaly in the middle of the night to make sure Opal was still in locked in Atlantis.

-You're beginning to sound just like Artemis-he had said- And the LAST thing I need in my life right now is another paranoid youngster with crazy phobias!

-I'm just trying to be reasonable-she responded- Don't you honestly think it's strange for me to be having the same nightmare every night, for 2 weeks straight?

-No, I don't. The only thing I'm certain of is that you need a vacation and I need my beauty sleep. And if you call me again at 3 AM, I swear I'm going to ask Kelp to fire you. Now good night, Holly.

At the time, she thought he was just being an idiot, but maybe he was right after all, she really wWAS beginning to sound like Artemis.

''Great, what's next? My hair will turn black and I'm gonna invent world peace?''.

**I know it is short (get it? Short?), but the next ones will be longer :)**


	2. Fist Fights and a Really Smelly Day

Porter-elf Tidy Situp was having a really, really bad day.

It had taken him YEARS to get a job at Police Plaza, and still it was not what he wanted. At first, he tried to be a transit guard, but he failed (he never knew why, although the inspector had something about him being too stupid). He tried every job: janitor, programmer, even captain, but after almost a year of trying, he finally got a job as a porter. He only did so because his Mamma had threatened him, saying she was going to kick him out of the house and stuff (he didn't care much about living in the street, it was the kicking part that scared him), and it was the only job which didn't require a test.

The job was rather simple, all he had to do was open the door for people wanting to get in or out, but still he hated the job. He wanted a job INSIDE Police Plaza, not outside of it! But still, he was good at it, very good.

He was always known for his patience and calmness, he handled everything: his mother's screams, rude people, even when the goblin revolution broke out, he just sat quietly, drinking his tea and watching TV.

But when a crazy dwarf comes running in, demanding to see Trouble Kelp, it is to test the patience of all.

At first, everything was okay: the dwarf asked politely to come in, saying it was ''a matter of life and death'', and that he needed to go in immediately. Tidy then asked him why he needed to see the commander, and dwarf replied that it was too important to be said out loud. The two then started an argument, with the dwarf screaming ''DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I'M FAMOUS, YOU KNOW?'' and Tidy trying to call him down. It was all going well (sort of), when the dwarf suddenly exclaimed:

-''You know what? I don't the permission of some stupid little porter! I'm going to see Trouble Kelp and I'm going to do it NOW!''

-''Stupid little porter…? HOW DARE YOU, YOU MEDDLING SON OF A TROLL? I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM THE BEST AT MY JOB!''

-''Yeah, I'm sure you are. After all, it must be SO exhausting for your mental faculties to open and close doors all day. I'd give you a medal, if I had one''.

Okay, that was IT! There was no way he was going to let that smelly dwarf get away after that one!

With all his strength, Tidy jumped on the dwarf, trying to punch his face. There were punches and kicks, but luckily, the dwarf was just as confused as him. It took him a while, but he finally managed to hit a right hook on his nose, which knocked the dwarf down.

''Hah! That will teach you not to underestimate the power of the porter!''

He began smiling and dancing, happy about having won his first fight.

In fact, he was so happy that he didn't even noticed when the dwarf smiled and pointed his butt at him.

* * *

There were a lot of things capable of making Holly Short angry: trolls, the cold, small, dark spaces.

But I assure you, none of these things were worse than the fresh, invigorating smell of dwarf fart in the morning.

The minute the smell penetrated her nostrils, she felt like blacking out (which a lot of people actually did), luckily, she managed to stay put by grabbing a safety bar holding her breath until the smell dissipated.

The next thing she did was run to the entrance, expecting to find some crazy terrorist attacking Police Plaza, but only found a crowd of fairies passed out on the stone floor and Mulch Diggums with an innocent look on his face.

-''Hi, Mulch''- she said, in a rather calm tone

-''Hiya, Holls. Everything OK with you?''

-''Yeah''- she was just helping him up when her gaze fell on an unconscious Tidy Situp-''What did you do to him?''

-''Oh, nothing. He was just too close to the danger zone, if you get what I mean.''

-''Oh''

Slowly, he got up, shaking off the dust from his clothes and offering his hand to her:

-''Now, if you excuse me, I have a business meeting to attend''.

* * *

As they walked the halls of Police Plaza, people pointed at them, as they always did when Holly was on the scene. She was always a celebrity, but after the Atlantis incident, both she and Artemis had become strangely more popular.

''So-she asked- why do you want to see Trouble, anyway?''

-''Well, let's just say that I've been hearing some interesting rumors on the street lately. Rumors that I think Kelp would like to know''.

-''Wow, since when did you became the good guy?''

-''My dear-he said, imitating a British accent- I'm a detective, it's my job to be the good guy''.

They both smiled, and after walking a little longer, they finally arrived at Trouble Kelp's office.

Trouble's secretary, a cranky little pixie known as ''Trudy'' was sitting at her desk, her piercing eyes instantly locking on them. According to Foaly, she was the only fairy in the world who didn't knew who Artemis and Holly were, so she always considered weird when people mentioned their names, stating that ''whatever these two did, I couldn't have been THAT important!''

-''We want to see Commander Kelp-stated Holly-It's really important''

-''He's busy-she responded''

Holly sighted

-''Tell him that Holly Short wants to see him''

Trudy's eyes immediately widened, and for a moment, she appeared susprised

''Oh…yes, I'll tell him you're here. He told me to always let you trough''.

She quickly left the room and Mulch looked at her with a malicious smile

''Hah-he said- I just knew he'll let us trough, after all, how can he refuse a visit from his girlfriend?''

-I'm NOT his girlfriend!-Holly replied- We went out in ONE date… wait, how do you know about this?''

-''I have my sources''

-''Your sources, riiiiiight…please remind me to kill Foaly later, ok?

-I'll make sure to pass on the message. But really, Holly, it's obvious that he likes you, why do you think he hates Artemis so much?

-''He doesn't hates Artemis! It's just some stupid rivalry! And he DOES NOT like me…does he?''

Mulch was about to reply when Trudy suddenly opened the door and let them in. It had been a long time since Holly had come to Trouble's office, and even though he was one of her best friends, it still gave a stage fright feeling to be there.

-''Hol…I mean, Commander Short-said Trouble- I was told you have something to report to me''.

-''Actually-said Mulch, jumping on top of a chair- Holly here is just an escort. I was the one that wanted to talk to you''.

Trouble looked at Holly with puzzled eyes.

-''What's he doing in here?-he asked''

-''Trust me, you're not the only one who wants to know.''

She couldn't blame him for being surprised; after all, anyone who was expecting to talk to Holly Short and ended up with Mulch Diggums was expected to be at least a little reluctant.

-''Very well-he said-What do you have for us, Diggums?''

-''Well-he began'', as you already know, I have a lot of contacts on the streets, and for the last few days, something really weird is happening.

-''Weird?-asked Holly-As in what?''

-As in strange disappearances''

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped, as Mulch's words echoed on both the elf's heads

-''Continue-demanded Trouble''

-For the past two weeks, fairies have been disappearing all over the place, both here and Topsoil. Dwarfs, pixies, elves, even some trolls are totally gone, with not a clue to where they went.

-''Two weeks…-Holly said quietly- the same as my nightmare…

-''Did you say something, Holly?''-asked the Commander

-''Nothing important, sir''

-''As I was saying…''-continued the dwarf-''I first found about this 4 days ago, when a client of mine went missing. I looked everywhere for him, but didn't find anything. Eventually, I decide to dig a little deeper, and then found out about all this mess. It gets worse with each day; people are starting to be afraid to leave their houses. I thought it was to talk to you because…''

-''Because'' what?

-''…because I thought that Opal Koboi was behind it''.

Everyone in the room suddenly became extremely quiet. It was even possible to hear Trudy mumbling to herself in the other room. After some minutes of silence, Trouble finally spoke:

-''Thank you for the information, Diggums. I'll tell everybody to stay on their guard and to report any more disappearances. You can leave now.''

Mulch had already left, but Holly stopped on in front of the door and turned around to face her friend:

-''Trubs, do you really think Opal's behind this?''

-''I don't know, Holly. It could be either Opal trying to get back at us, or really just and unfortunate coincidence. But I'll do my best to find out, I promise''

''You better''.

And then she left.

Mulch was waiting for her outside the office, but instead of heading towards the exit, she turned to the opposite way, to Foaly's new underground shuttle port.

-''Hey!-he yelled-Where are you going?''

-''Topsoil-she responded-And you're coming too, we've got an old friend to visit''

* * *

**So, what do you think? Next chapter, we will have the not-so-unexpected appearence of Artemis Fowl The Second and whatever else my mind has planned :)**

**PS: For those of you who are into anagrams, let's see if you can figure out the little joke I made with Tidy's name :)**


	3. Strange Feelings and A Death in Hell

Artemis Fowl was hiding under his desk, making as little noise as possible. Maybe, if he was REALLY still and quiet, she would not notice he was there…

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps became clearer. She was approaching fast and the boy trembled with each second that passed. Finally, she stopped in front of the door…

…and went straight to the end of the corridor.

Artemis gave a sigh of relief. He had been doing his best to avoid his mother for the past seven months. Even after his recovery from the Atlantis Complex, she still hadn't forgotten about those silly clothes she bought for his birthday, and there was absolutely NO WAY he would wear those ridiculous rags.

He had managed to make her forget about then for the 6 months he stayed in Argon's clinic, but no he wasn't so sure. For the last 7 months, all he thought about were stupid excuses like ''sorry, mother. I'm not feeling very well'' or ''sorry, mother, but I promised Foaly I would help him with something''. It was beginning to get old, and his mother would eventually find out sooner or later, but he had to enjoy liberty while he could.

Strangely enough, there was something _else _he couldn't stop thinking about. A memory buried so deep inside of him that he hadn't thought about it in almost 2 years…

He barely remembered what happened that time. The images were fuzzy and out of focus, just like broken camera. He remembered the gorilla jumping on top of him, he remembered the pain, he remembered Holly crying desperately while she healed him…

But most of all, he remembered the kiss.

That image was always replaying in head. He hadn't thought about it in so long, and now, he suddenly remembered every detail like it was yesterday.

At the time, he was so surprised he didn't even associate what was happening with the act of kissing. He didn't even what to _do_, for God's sake! One minute he was on the brink of the death and on the other, he was alive and was being kissed by his best friend. It had been too much of a shock at the time and he tried not to think about it much, especially after he had broken her heart…

''Broken her heart''… why did he had chosen those words?

-Argh, just stop thinking about it, Artemis!-he said out loud-You have more important things to do.

-Really, Arty?-asked a voice behind him-Talking to yourself again? What were you discussing this time, quantum physics?

He turned around: Holly Short was sitting on his windowsill with a big, warm smile on her face. It had been a long time since he last saw her and it was very good to see her again. In fact, it was very, very good to see her again. He wondered why he was feeling like this.

-It's good to see you too, Holly-he finally said- And no, no quantum physics this time, just advanced biology.

-Ha-ha, very funny-the elf responded while jumping from the windowsill and giving him a hug

-Are you alone?

-No, Mulch came with me, but he's busy checking something out for Trouble.

-Commander Kelp sent _Mulch Diggums_ to do a mission for him? But why? Doesn't he have much better agents at his disposal?

-It's…not that simple, Artemis.

Even though she turned to the other side, it was possible to see the shadow of a sad smile cross her face, and Artemis suddenly understood everything.

-Something happened, didn't it? Something to do with Opal.

She nodded in approval. Few people knew this, but Holly considered herself responsible for Opal's crimes and the consequences of them. Her hatred for Opal was so big that it crossed borders. Artemis also felt a deep disgust for the pixie, but it was different with Holly. He had never lost anything or anyone because of her, but Holly had: she had lost Root, her job and in some cases, almost her live and that of her friends. That hatred had become especially stronger when past Opal followed then to their time escaped:

-It's my fault-she had said-I let her escape.

''Not, it's not''-he had thought-''It's mine, I was the one that infected Mother on the first place''.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke:

-So, what happened?

She told him everything. Apparently, Trouble wanted to find out if the disappearances were really Opal's doing, so he had sent Mulch to do some investigating on the matter. As soon as he found something, he would go to Fowl Manor to discuss the situation with Artemis and the others. If not, Trouble would send a team of LEP agents to check things out.

-But do think it could really be Opal?-Holly asked

-I don't know. If it really is her, what would she gain by organizing these kidnappings? And why wait almost two years to do it?

-Maybe she was waiting for a time when we weren't prepared?

-Perhaps…but I highly doubt it. We better discuss this when Mulch and Butler are back.

-Speaking of Butler, where is he? I haven't seen his since I got here.

-He's in Dublin now, picking up a delivery for made?

-What kind of ''delivery''?

-Nothing spe…wait, why are looking at me like that?

-What kind of delivery, Artemis Fowl the Second?

-Nothing criminal, I swear!

-Oh, really?

-Yes! I'm not lying, I promise!

Holly continued to look at him with a suspicious face, but after a minute, she suddenly broke into laughter. It took him a few more minutes to realize it was a joke.

-Oh, very funny, commander Short. Very, very funny.

-Oh Gods, you should have seen your face! It's was precious!

Eventually, he gave in and started to smile. He had forgotten how good it felt to be with you crush.

Wait a minute...

* * *

Lianna Feja knew she was going to die.

It had been five days since she was locked at that stupid cell, and still no one came to rescue her. Fortunately, she wasn't alone; there were other captives in there, but they were on separated cages, so it was impossible to talk to them.

The cell wasn't very big: it was a dark, cold room with cages organized like books on a shelf. On the other side was the grey door, or as the captives referred to it, the door of death.

Once you entered the door of death, you never came back. Nobody knew what was behind it, some said it was lab, some said it was a torture chamber. It didn't matter, nobody left that place alive. When the guards came, they would take at least six or seven people, and once they passed the doors, a few minutes passed, they screamed for a while and then it was over.

The day the guards came for her, Lianna was prepared. She was afraid, of course, but prepared. They took her and six other captives to a room with a large machine on the center. Surrounding the machine, were seven little glass cylinders with cables that connected with it. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a person inside the machine.

After all the captives were put inside the cylinders, the machine began to smoke and glow. Lianna suddenly felt weak al fell to her knees, it felt like someone was stealing her life away…no, not her life, her _magic_.

It was horrible; she had been out magic before, but never like this. This time, she felt empty inside, like if someone had cut of her organs out of her. It wasn't painful, but she screamed anyway. Her eyes began to close, and just as they were about to shut down, she saw a small woman coming out of the machine. What she doing there? Maybe she could help then…

Then, the world became black.


	4. Old Friends and Strange Packages

Mulch Diggums had never been much of a fan of Dublin. There was almost nothing valuable to steal there, and even thought it had its fair share of history with the People, most fairies usually avoided the place if they could.

Why? Because it was also the headquarters of the biggest criminal society since the B'wa Kell.

The Trollers began their realm of terror soon a year after Holly Short and Artemis Fowl's disappearance. Their headquarters was located in an abandoned grocery shop in a tough neighborhood, so it was very rare to see someone walking those streets. At first, nobody had taken them seriously because of their name, in fact, most people actually made fun of then for it, but as they soon learned, the Trollers didn't choose that name because they were funny.

Their leader, a dwarf named Wielki Potwór, had managed to find a way to _control _trolls. Nobody knew how he did it, but he was able to command a fully grown troll to attack, sometimes even kill, anyone who defied him. He had been a thorn in LEP'S shoes for a long time, but they had been too busy with Opal to go after him, and frankly, no one in their right mind would want to go against an army of angry trolls; which also made Wielki a great source of information.

And that was why Mulch Diggums was there that night, hoping to speak to the only man who could shed some light on the disappearances.

-This better work, Kelp-he whispered to himself-or else I'm a dead dwarf.

He approached the front door of the building. At first it looked like a bomb had hit the place: the windows were broken and part of the building had collapsed. Only the wooden sign witj the words ''WADEL'S BAKERY'' was still intact. After knocking on the door 7 times, a voice appeared from the other side:

-Who is it?

-Hum, hi. The name's Diggums and I really, really need to talk to Potwór…

-The boss is busy!

-But I…

-No ''buts''! Go away, or else we'll feed you to the trolls!

Bummer, he had been so close! Now what was he supposed to do? He couldn't go back empty-handed, or else Holly and Kelp would kill him, unless…

He ducked and tasted the soil: it was nice and soft, perfect for excavating.

-Well-he said, opening a smile-I guess its lunchtime.

* * *

It took him almost an hour to find Potwór. The secret facility inside below the grocery store was HUGE, and there were times where the guards had almost captured him, but he made it through. He had also passed the room where they kept the trolls, and Mulch was sure he heard screaming coming from inside the room, but his guts told him it was not a good idea to check it out.

Eventually, he reached the ventilation system, and from there he was able to arrive in the meeting room were Potwór was, and immediately recognized the guy's face. He had seen pictures of Potwór before, but he was even uglier in person: his head was completely bald, and he had a scar that from his left eye the way to the cheek. Some said it was because one of his trolls had cut him, while others suggested that it had been Wielki himself that created the scar, cutting his face with a knife in order to prove his strength to his followers. Either way, it had only caused the rumors about him to be even scarier.

The meeting room was empty, except from Potwór, his body guards and…someone else. Whoever it was, he or she was sitting the opposite way to were Mulch was hidden, so it was impossible to see who it was. Potwór looked nervous, and his guards had their guns ready, whoever that visitor was, he or she was definitively dangerous. After a few minutes of silence, Wielki spoke:

-I trust you are here to discuss my payment?

-Yes, of course-the stranger replied. Mulch wasn't sure, but it looked like it was a women's voice-your payment…Well, unfortunately, your payment will have to be delayed.

-DELAYED? HOW DARE YOU! I have done everything you asked me to, and now you refuse me money?

-You have not apprehended the special target I requested, Mr. Potwór. So until she remains out of your hands, so does your money.

-But…I already acquired that other woman…the one who was hiding in France! I lost some of my best man in that operation!

-I know, and for that you shall be rewarded, but only when the time comes.

-This ''special target'' of yours…you do know how difficult it will be to acquire it, don't you? And you also know that if it goes wrong, I can kiss my life goodbye, right?

-Yes, my dear Wielki, I know that. But, unfortunately, your life is not very high on my list of priorities.

-Do not play games with me-he replied coldly- you are nothing without me! Remember how I was the only one who accepted doing business with you? And don't forget I have an entire army of trolls to do my bidding, so I would you chose your words carefully next time you speak to me.

After a few minutes of silence, the woman stood up and left, and for a split second, Mulch managed to see her face.

She didn't have one.

In its place, she wore a metal mask which covered her face entirely. He didn't know why, but the thought of what was behind that mask scared the heck out him. She suddenly stopped on the other side of the door and said:

-Talk to me after you have acquired my target, and do it soon. I have been waiting a long time for this, and my patience is wearing thin.

Potwór left a few minutes after the woman, and Mulch decided it was a good time to do some snooping. He jumped from the ventilation shaft and landed on the wooden table. It was a good thing that he hadn't eaten much these past few days, or else the table might have broken. He was about to head out the door when he noticed something shiny were the woman was sitting. It looked like a colored stone, and it was very pretty. Unfortunately, it was too small, so the rest of it was probably in some jewel she was wearing. He would have to remember to tell Foaly to analyze it when he went back to Haven.

-Well, well, what do we have here?

Mulch turned around. Wielki Potwór and four other guards stood in front of the door, blocking any possible exit. He was completely trapped, unless…

The guards moved closer, their guns pointed at Mulch's head. He ducked and counted to ten

-What do we do with him, boss?-asked one the guards.

8, 7, 6…

-Lock him up with the French pixie, I guess she could use some company-he said, opening an evil smile.

3, 2, 1…

The guard who spoke was ready to knock him down when suddenly, Mulch farted and went flying forward like a torpedo. When, he finally landed, he started to run as fast as his legs allowed.

-GET HIM! I WANT HIM ALIVE!-Potwór screamed

It was possible to hear the sound of guards coming after him, so Mulch ran faster. He had no idea where he was going, but it was least worth a try. If he could just find somewhere to dig, he would be out of there in a second.

Suddenly, all the lights went out and he was left in total darkness. He stopped for a second, but continued running as soon as one of the guards fired his gun at him. He continued to run in the darkness, trying desperately to dodge the guard's shoots. Things were going bad, he could hit a dead end at any second and…

Dead end.

The impact with the wall had been so strong that it took a few minutes for Mulch to remember how to breathe. Unfortunately, that was the time the guards needed to get to him, and dizzy as he was, Mulch was still able to hear Potwór's wicked laugh as they cuffed him.

* * *

-Get in here!-the guard shouted, throwing Mulch in the cell-You better enjoy the little time you have left because them trolls haven't eaten in weeks, and I hear they like dwarf meat!

After spending a few minutes with his face on the stone floor, Mulch got up. The cell was small, cold, dark and covered with hay, with only one bed and the bones of the unfortunate humans who happened to discover that place in the corner. He didn't know how much time the Trollers were going to keep him there, but he guessed it wasn't for much long.

-And who you might be?-asked a voice coming from a dark space in the cell.

-Who's there?-he asked.

-Over here, dwarf.

He approached the space and noticed that there someone shackled to wall, but couldn't see who it was.

-Is there any light in here?

-There's a pack of matches on the bed.

Mulch found the pack and lit a match next to the persons face. When he saw who it was, he gasped, dropping the match.

-YOU!

-Yes, it is me, I know that. Have we ever met before?

He found himself unable to answer, suddenly backing away from the prisoner and looking for the nearest possible weapon.

Because in front of him was the unmistakable face of Opal Koboi.

* * *

Domovoi Butler had fought a troll, been shot, had fat from a dwarf injected on his face and had a heart attack. All because of his master's, Artemis Fowl, plans.

So it did make sense that, for him, Artemis sending him on a simple assignment was very, very suspicious.

He had learned to question Artemis, but when he had asked him to go to Dublin to get a package for him, he had not resisted:

-What is it? - He had asked.

-Oh, nothing special.

-Nothing to do with achieving global domination, I suppose?

-Of course-Artemis replied with a small, almost unnoticeable smile-But it is of the utmost importance that you bring it to me as soon as possible, so try not to take long.

-Will do.

He had wondered what the package was all the Dublin, and even now when he had it in his hands, he could not guess what it was.

The package was very small and in it were the words: ''FRAGILE-DO NOT OPEN''. Maybe it was a computer disk, or some machine piece, either way, Butler had been very careful with it. Artemis had been very clear that he wanted it completely intact and Butler knew that he had meant it.

While driving back to Fowl Manor, he stopped on a red light which was being fixed. After a while, he realized he was insanely bored, and the red light was still half an hour from being fixed. His eyes moved to the package, he wondered if he could open it and later put it back like it had never been opened…

He resisted fiercely for a while, but eventually his curiosity gave in. After a few minutes, he opened the small paper box only to find whet another layer of paper. Whatever was inside, it was really important to his master.

Eventually, he managed to unfold all the paper and find the item wrapped inside. At first, it didn't make sense. Why would Artemis need something like that…?

Then, he smiled. He remembered the look on the boy's eyes when he had asked Butler to get it, the smiles and distracted looks he was having these last few months, his recent wave of good mood…

-Well, well,-he said, wrapping the package back-who would have guessed? Looks like my boy is growing up…

* * *

** there! Sorry I took so long to update, it's just that I was busy with school work(A.K.A, watching ''Game of Thrones'', sleeping and reading), but chapter 4 is finally here! What is Artemis Fowl's mysterious package? What will happen to Mulch and Opal? Who is the masked woman? Find out next chapter(actually, you're going to have to wait a little longer to find out what the package is, but patience is a virtue, right?)!**


	5. Rescue Missions and Worried Youngsters

At exactly 8:15 PM, Mulch Diggum's transmission reached Fowl Manor. Artemis and Holly had been talking non-stop for hours, but their laughter immediately faded when the computer began to beep. Holly had equipped Mulch with a special LEP transmitter that was specially connected to any electronic device belonging to Artemis (Foaly had built it right after LEP had erased Artemis's memory. According to him, someone needed to keep an eye on ''that stubborn Mud Boy'', but it had never been used.), so in case he found anything interesting, they would know in a second.

Artemis pressed a button and Mulch's face appeared on the screen. Holly immediately realized something was wrong: it was very dark and Mulch was covering the transmitter with his hands, as if hiding it from someone.

-Mulch-Artemis spoke-anything to report?

-Nice to see you to, Mud Kid. Sorry I interrupted you. Were you having a fun time with your BFF? Were you painting each other's nails or something?

-Mulch!-Holly said-Now's not the time! Where are you anyway? We've been trying to reach you for hours!

-Well, let's just say we have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?

-The bad news-Artemis responded.

-Ok then: The bad news is that Potwór and his gang got me, and if you guys don't end sending some backup, I'm going to be troll food.

-And the good news?

-I'm not the only one in this pathetic excuse for a jail. There's someone else here with me.

-Another prisoner?-Artemis asked.

-Better. Say hello to our old friend, Miss Psycho!

He moved the transmitter in a way that it clearly showed Opal Koboi's face. She recognized Artemis from the other side and screamed:

-YOU! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THIS, YOU FILTHY LITLLE MUD BOY!

Artemis stepped back in shock. Why, in God's name, did it _always_ have to be her?

-JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET OUT OF HERE! I'M GOING TO FIND YOU AND YOU ELF FRIEND AND I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY! AS YOU BURN, I WILL LAUGH AND LAUGH…

Mulch moved the transmitter back, but it was still possible to her Opal's screams.

-What is SHE doing there?-Holly asked-How did the Trollers capture her?

-According to Potwór, they got her while she was hiding in France. Someone paid him to do it, a creepy woman in a mask. I don't have much information on her, but I think I have something Foaly may be interested in.

-Alright,-Artemis said-here is what we will do: Mulch, keep an eye on Opal until rescue arrives. Holly, contact commander Kelp and tell him of our situation. When Mulch gets back, Foaly and I will try to find this ''masked woman''.

-Seriously, Fowl? You're leaving me here with _her_?

-It's our only choice. See if you can find something to make her stop screaming, we don't want to attract any attention.

-But how?

-I don't know,-Holly said-hit her with something, maybe?

Mulch looked around the room and suddenly spotted a loose metal pipe. A big smile crossed his face.

-I think I like this plan.

-Whatever, just stay put until me and Trubs get there…and Mulch?

-Yes, Holly?

-When you hit her, leave some for me.

The transmission ended and the screen became black.

-You know,-Artemis said-I think I small part of me is starting to be a little afraid of you.

-Good, that's how it's supposed to be.

* * *

One hour later, Mulch Diggum's rescue team had been assembled and had already formed a stakeout in front of Wadel's Bakery. Holly was walking on the street, monitoring the rest of the agents to see if everything was OK. She had to admit it was really exciting to command a team like that, to see everyone obeying her orders with discipline and respect.

-I wonder if that's what Trouble feels.-she muttered to herself-Well, I certainly can't blame him.

When she finished checking everything, she summoned all the agents to the roof of a small building which had a clear view of the bakery. Once everyone was there, she began to explain their plans:

-Ok everyone, here's how it's going to work: team 1 will go in first and neutralize any threats. Them, team 2 and I will follow and try to find the hostages, and once we do, team 3 will grab a shuttle and take everyone out of there when I give the signal.

-That's it?-asked a recruit who was on his first mission-That's our plan?

-Do you a have a better one, agent Pelkuri?

-Well…I just think…maybe we should do this the old way. You know, the break-in and shoot everything on sight style?

-That _does_ sound like a good plan.

-It does?

- Of course. It's a really, really clever plan. We should totally use it. But them, since we also got a crazy dwarf and an entire army of trolls ready to kill us when he commands it, we all would probably die. Anyone else has got any other bright ideas? No? Good. Now comes the hard part: if anyone that isn't from team 2 ends up finding the hostages, they will go back exactly to this spot and wait for me. As for Potwór and the trolls, don't do anything to them. Let them run. If anybody tries to play the hero and I find out, I'll make sure Commander Kelp will have then cleaning floors for the rest of their lives. This is a rescue-only operation, alright?

-YES, COMMANDER!

-Good. Teams, to your positions, now!

They all began to run and Holly positioned herself with the rest of team 2. It took a moment to realize that she was sweating. Had she really said all those things? Had she really commanded them and everything? For the last few months, everyone was saying the she had grown into quite the LEP agent. She had always been good, but this time, all of Haven agreed that she was the best agent alive. Trouble was always joking that she was beginning to sound like Root, and after this speech, she was inclined to believe him. She wondered what Root would think if he saw her now. Would he be proud of her? Surprised? Both?

-Commander, team 1 is ready to go.

-What?

-Team 1 is ready to go, aren't you going to give them the OK?

-Oh, right. Team 1, you can go in.

She watched as they opened the door and knocked out the guard on the other side. After 20 minutes, her communicator began to beep.

-Team 1, what's the stat?

-Boss, we found the hostages, but there's kind of a complicated situation…

-What do mean?

-Get team 2 over here and you'll see.

-Will do. Team 2, get ready to go in!

They went inside the bakery; it did not take for them to find the entrance to the underground tunnels. Holly knew that once they went in there, only pure luck and skill would get them out.

The ride to the waypoint had been a calm one, one time or another they stumbled across a sleeping dwarf, but that was it. It took them a while to find team 2, even with them sending signals to their helmets. The tunnels went very deep underground and were poorly lit. Whoever built that place knew what they were doing.

Eventually, they reached their destination: it was the deepest point in the tunnels, and there was a small fracture of light coming from what seemed to be an air vent. Holly looked inside and the only thing she could say was:

-Oh…D'arvit.

* * *

Mulch Diggums knew without a doubt that Holly would save him. She always did. She just had a nasty habit of arriving exactly one minute before tragedy stroke.

Except this time, it was really becoming a problem.

He had no idea what time it was when the guards took him or if Opal was with him. They just covered his face with a leather bag, made him walk and kicked his butt from time to time. Usually, he would have just farted and then get the heck out of there, but not this time. Now he had to do that _and _that witch with him. Kelp would be the laughingstock of LEP if he let her escape again, although Mulch couldn't understand why. Surely the trolls enjoyed pixie meat.

Suddenly, one of the guards yanked the bag of his head and kicked him so hard he went flying forward. He was face down on the earth floor, but it was still possible to hear people screaming and cheering. When he managed to get up, he observed his surroundings: apparently, they had dumped him in a large, metal cage. Outside of it, people were sitting on benches, screaming and waving piles of fairy money. On the other side of the cage, there was a huge gate, as in huge enough to hold elephant. Wielki Potwór was sitting in a golden throne and was holding a megaphone. He began to talk and everyone became quiet.

-GENTLEMEN, TODAY, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL GUEST. PLEASE WELCOME THE ''FAMOUS'' DWARF, MULCH DIGGUMS!

People began to applaud and cheers, while others booed and tried to throw cans at him.

-AND NOW, FROM THE OUTSKIRTS OF FROZEN SIBERIA, PLEASE WELCOME HIM: THE SKULL MUNCHER, THE KILLER SUPREME, THE ONE THAT MAKES FAIRIES SCREAM, SSSSSSSSSSSVART!

The gate opened and nothing came out. Instead, the biggest roar Mulch had ever heard echoed throughout the cage. A giant ball of darkness came running out of the other side. Its fangs were as sharp as a thousand knifes, and when the creature opened its mouth, showing rows and rows of teeth, Mulch could swear that it was smiling. From head to toe, it was covered in black fur.

Mulch realized in horror how dangerous the situation he was in really was: the place wasn't a cage, it was an _arena_.

He was going to have to fight a troll, right there and now, and not a single spectator cared. All they wanted was to taste blood.

The creature jumped after him and Mulch began to dig so fast that he didn't even realize what he was doing; all he wanted was to get away from that monster. Suddenly, his head hit something metal and he tumble sideways, totally dizzy. Part of the arena floor was made of earth so he could dig, giving him a false sense of hope, but in reality it was just so he wouldn't die in the first five seconds of the fight.

He could hear the crowd screaming the creature's name on the surface: SVART, SVART! Nobody believed he had a chance of winning, and honestly, so did him.

Suddenly, giant hands grabbed him and lifted him of the ground. Up close, Svart was even _uglier_. Mulch was scared he didn't even knew what to do. He just began to kick and bite. Miraculously, he managed to bite Svart's finger, making the creature scream so loud that the metal bars in the arena shook. Mulch hit the floor and immediately began run. He tasted blood in his mouth; the bite had been so strong that the finger was cut out. It was a time like this that Mulch thanked the Gods he had been born a dwarf.

The crowd cheered lauder. Trolls hated noise, so it was only making it angrier than it already was. It began to run after him, and Mulch didn't even have time to run back to the safety of earth before it hit him. He literally went flying to the opposite side of the arena and hit his head on the metal wall so hard that he was seeing stars. His vision was blurred and he couldn't move, but he could hear the monster approaching him, sharpening his claws to tear his throat out in a minute. This was it, he was done for. The great Mulch Diggums would die while being digested in a troll's belly. This was certainly not the ending he was expecting, he was imaged in would happen while he was in the middle of a daring heist or in some save-the-world mission with Artemis and Holly, but never this.

-Oh well,-he managed to say-beggars can't be choosers, right?

And then his spirit when flying into the gates of Heaven.

* * *

Wait a minute, Heaven didn't have metal roofs! And he was pretty sure did not wear helmets and green camouflage suits…

-HOLLY!

-Hi Mulch. Sorry I'm late.

-Opal…she's…

-Don't worry, we'll get her.

Another elf picked him up and began to heal him. Everywhere, LEP officers were pointing guns and shouting at people. At least seven of them were shooting tranquilizer darts at Svart, who was still resisting. Slowly, his vision was coming back to him, and he managed to see Holly land in the very center of the arena and say:

-Attention, everyone in this room is now under arrest! This is a LEP-Recon operation, and if anyone tries to resist or run, we will NOT hesitate to shoot!

She was serious. Wielki Potwór stumbled backwards, making his golden throne fall and break like cheap plastic. Holly shot him and he was knocked out cold. The arena became quiet. After watching that, they were sure they did not want to mess with _her_.

* * *

Artemis watched as the shuttle bringing Opal Koboi landed on Haven. As soon as the door opened, about 10 LEP officers came out of it, forming a protective circle. He saw Opal in the center of the circle; she was wearing handcuffs and had been given a sedative that slowed her movements and reflections. As she passed by Artemis, she looked at him with evil eyes and tried to spit at him, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a little saliva and nothing more. Butler was waiting at the entrance to Police Plaza, where he and Trouble Kelp would escort her to a cell.

Then, Mulch and Holly came out of the shuttle and he ran to meet them. Mulch had a little of dried blood on his face, but otherwise he was fine. Holly was the exact opposite: she looked worried and tired and didn't even notice him, she just ran to catch up with Opal.

-Don't bother with her,-Mulch said-She's been like this ever since we got out of that bakery. You should have seem her, she looked like she was about to bite Opal every time she moved!

-I'm sure Holly was worried she might try to do something reckless. After all, it _is_ Opal Koboi we're talking about.

-Maybe you're right, but I had never seen Holly like that. She's paranoid, really, really paranoid. More than you with that ''evil four'' thing!

Artemis sighted. Why did Mulch always have to remind him of that?

-Anyway, how are you, Mulch?

-Fine. A little bump on the head, but otherwise I'm fine. What about you? Shouldn't you be in the lab or something?

-As a matter of fact, I should. I'm just here to get that evidence you told us about.

-And to check up on Holly.-he said, opening a smile-

-Of course. She is my best friend, after all.

-That's not what I meant…oh, forget about it. Here, just take the damn thing and go do your lab-nerd mojo.

He handed Artemis the colored stone and left. 15 minutes later, Artemis and Foaly were analyzing it with a high-resolution microscope. 10 minutes later, Artemis already had the paper with the results on his hand and was walking down to Police Plaza to meet Holly and Butler.

Strangely enough, when he got there, the porter just let him in without asking any questions. He was wearing a gas mask and had several cans of air freshener next to him. Artemis didn't say anything; he was used to being around strange people.

It didn't take him too long to find the interrogation room. It was being guarded severely both on the inside and outside. Holly was waiting outside, walking back and forth. Strange, why hadn't Trouble let her go inside the room?

-Is she inside?-he asked.

-Yes, she is. Trouble and Butler are with her now, so there's no chance that's she's going to run again.

-If that's the case, then why are _you_ here?

-Because there's no way I'm going to mess up again. I'm going to follow that witch's every move, wherever Trouble likes it or not.

She continued to walk, but suddenly stopped when Artemis walked forward and put his hand on her shoulder.

-You are having that dream again, aren't you?

She didn't answer.

-Holly, they are just dreams.

-I know, I know! It's just…I just want to end this as soon as possible.

-Me too, but you will get nothing out of it if you continue to be so worried. Is Number One already here?

-No, but he's coming. He needs to prepare, using the time stream takes a lot out of him.

-And after he opens it, he will send her back and we will never have to deal with Opal again.

-Yeah, you're right.

-I'm always right. I'm me.

She smiled.

-Okay, Mister Modesty. I'm going check up on Mulch. Want to come with me?

-In a second. I just have one more thing to do and then I will go.

-Ok, see you soon.

He waited for her to leave and then looked at the paper in his hand.

-Artemis, you sentimental old fool. You just couldn't bring yourself to show that to her, couldn't you?

He read it again and again. Maybe it was wrong; maybe he and Foaly had made a mistake…

No, the test was right. _He_ was the one who had made a mistake of not showing it to Holly.

The colored stone was a piece of a multicolored mineraloid, or, how it was known by the people, a common opal.

* * *

**TCHAN TCHAN TCHAN, THE PLOT THICKENS!**

**Sorry I took so long to update. It's just that my computer broke down, and then I had to reinstall Word, and then I had to do stuff, blah blah blah...**

**Anyway, I'm going to travel and I'm only coming back on July 20, but I'll try to write I little while I'm away :)**

**PS: OMG, ''THE LAST GUARDIAN'' COMES OUT TOMORROW! IT'S THE LAST AF BOOK! OH MAN, I'M SOOOOOOO GONNA CRY WHEN I FINISHI IT! Oh well, at least we still have the movie(but not even that could make us forget our little Arty, right? :))**

**PPS: I'm a little scared that people will stop reading this when they finish reading the last book...**

**PPPS: Check this out(it's not a virus, I swear)! Trust on this one, you're gonna love me after you finish watching it:**

** watch?v=8OsWRM4CjH0**

** watch?v=DwSEfkD46yI&feature=relmfu**


	6. Author' Note

**SPOILERS FOR ''THE LAST GUARDIAN''.**

**If you already read it, PLEASE READ THIS! I KNOW IT SOUNDS JUST LIKE SOME STUPID AUTHOR'S NOT, BUT IT'S NOT! TRUST ME.**

What's up? Soooooooooooooooooo, ''The Last Guardian'' came out 11 days ago I haven't read the book whet, but I know how it ends. A lot of people are saying how it's ''the end of AF'' or that it is ''Artemis's last adventure'' and are crying and stuff because the ending was ''sad'', but after a few days, I realized something…

HIS LAST ADVENTURE? REALLY? THIS IS ARTEMIS FUCKING FOWL THE SECOND! THE 16-YEARS-OLD WHO COULD TAKE CONTROL OF A PLANE WITH TWEEZERS AND A BATH TOWEL AND WHO TRAVELLED TO ANOTHER DIMENSION, KIDNAPPED A FAIRY, DISCOVERED AN ENTIRE UNDERGROUND CIVILIZATION ALL BY HIMSELF AND LEFT AN ARMY OF BOYS AND GIRLS BOWING BEFORE HIM DURING 11 YEARS(and let's not forget the movies…)! DO YOU REALLY THINK IT'S THE END OF THE LINE FOR HIM?

HE WAS MIND-WIPED TWICE IN THE SERIES (when he was 10 and in book 3), BUT HE STILL WENT AFTER THE FAIRIES! THERE'S PROOF IN THE BOOKS THAT HE REMEMBERS! CHECK IT OUT:

1-There is a lot of proof in the books that Arty continues in the world of magic. "The Atlantis Complex" mentions that Argon wrote Arty's biograph, a book called _Fowl and Fairy, _that was published years later(years later after the events of "The Atlantis Complex"). To write it, he would need Artemis, right? Also, in the prologue of the first book, it is written that"Artemis Fowl's fights with the fairies lasted for decades" (or something like that). Since 7 years pass from the beggining of book 1 to the end of book 8, it means that they still got A LOT of Arty to come.

2-We never really "lose" our memories. When we can't remember something, it just means they're in a place in our brain we can't reach. If something jogs his memory (Holly's story, for example), he may remember something.

3-Since the books are actually Holly explaining to Artemis how he lost his memory, it means that"The Last Guardian" is the end of the story, right? And if Artemis heard an elf claiming to be his best friend tell him a story as crazy as that, somewhere in soul or mind, he _must _know that Holly's trustworthy.

4-Knowing Holly, she will **never, ever **abandon him. She must have found a way for them to be friends again, and not just her, Mulch, Foaly, Butler, Arty's family, they all helped. As I said before, he must know he can trust them, meaning he remembered his friendships, meaning that he eventually began to go on adventures with them again. Even if he does not remember his previous adventures, he know they happened, but at the same time, he still gets to go on new ones(this is just for the people who REALLY believe he lost his memory for good, but even they have got to admit that this is pretty, pretty possible, if not 100%.). Remember in"The Opal Deception" when Holly and Artemis are about to be killed by the trolls, and he said that even though he didn't remember his past adventures with her,_ he_ _was still her friend._ So there you have it :)

5-This is going to sound ridiculous, but if we follow those videos with the guy playing Artemis, he said that he hired Eoin to write the books (THIS IS STUPID, I KNOW! BUT WE NEED EVERY HOPE WE CAN GET, RIGHT?)=he remembers.

6-Another stupid and highly unlikely theory: the fairies have some technology that will help him get his memory back (I highly doubt this, but, as I said before, we need all the hope we can get).

Oh, btw: he's still a genius. He only lost his memory, but not his ability to think and do things, like walk, talk and count. His personality is still there.

**READ THIS AS WELL:**

The whole ''Artemis dying and coming back to life'' thing was necessary. Why?

Eoin said he had to end the series with Arty becoming a good guy. As I said before, he will continue to hang out with the gang, but they're not letting him do evil things again. He was, literally, ''born again'', but this time, as a nice guy :) There's almost nothing left of his ''past-self''. His original body is gone and so are his memories, the only thing that's left it's his soul, but he has a good soul, so (God, forget I wrote that. English is not my first language and sometimes I have trouble with this whole ''dramatic text'' stuff), yeah…we really **did **get a happy ending. Artemis is a good guy, and he continues to hang out and go on adventures with the gang :)

Also, Eoin mentioned that the ending of the movie will be a bit different from the book. I don't know if he was talking about the first movie, or the movie series itself. Guess we'll just have to wait :|

PS: Yes, I will continue to write this fic. I just wanted people to realize how perfect the ending really was, and frankly, all that ''AF is over'' talk was making me angry (I even made a post about on tumblr. I almost punched my computer when I was writing it) :|

PPS: I'm going to post chapter 6 either today or tomorrow, so keep your eyes open :)


	7. Shockers and Boyfriends

Three days later, Number 1 had arrived and was ready to send Past-Opal back to her time. The operation was to be performed on a secret warehouse in the depths of Siberia. The only people present were Artemis Fowl the Second, Commander Trouble Kelp, Number 1 and three LEP agents. Commander Holly Short had refused to go. Opal had been memory-wiped and knocked unconscious. The three agents guarded the only door, and in case of any escape, the only shuttle available could only be activated by Commander Kelp's fingerprint. The place where the time stream would be opened was inside a medium-sized case made of super-resistant glass, which was created by Artemis, located on the very center of the warehouse. In the 4 of October, at exactly 9 o'clock, they watched as one of the most evil minds in history disappeared as quickly as a wink. After everything was finished, they embarked on the shuttle and left for Haven city. The 3 agents were memory-wiped and forgot everything about the event.

Nobody spoke a word on the shuttle, and as soon as they got to Haven, Artemis ran to meet with Foaly. For the last three days, Trouble Kelp had interrogated Opal and Potwór about the masked woman, but nothing came out of it. When Past-Opal escaped, she began to travel around Europe as an attempt to hide from the LEP, but after almost 2 years of hiding, she was captured by Potwór's men in an apartment in Paris. Apparently, she had no idea who the masked woman was or why she captured her, but kept screaming about how ''THOSE FILTHY LEP ELFS HAD REQUEIRED THE ASSISTANCE OF MERCENARYS TO CAPTURE HER! THE MEDIA WILL KNOW ABOU THIS! YOU WILL BE DISGRACED FOR ETERNITY, DO YOU HEAR ME? ETERNITY!'' until Butler had finally calmed her down with a nice, healthy, dose of sedative.

As for Potwór, he had refused to talk. Even with the Mesmer, all he did was repeat the words ''can' talk, she'll kill me, she'll kill me just like the others…''. Artemis had head that emotions such as extreme fear and love could serve as barriers against hypnosis, but he had no idea it was actually true. Despite the hours of useless interrogation, Kelp had decided to keep him there.

Artemis and Foaly had spent the last few days trying to discover anything at all about the masked woman, but so far, they had found nothing new. The opal fragment found by Mulch was part of a silver and gold bracelet, but that was all there was to it. No DNA, no fingerprints, no nothing. A useless clue meant to confuse them. The only chance they had of finding the masked woman was Potwór, whether he wanted to talk or not.

When Artemis reached his destination, he found Foaly sleeping with his head on top of a computer keyboard, drooling and muttering something about being someone's ''great, beautiful stallion''. They had been working non-stop for the past 72 hours and understood that his friend was tired, but it was not the time to rest.

-Foaly, - he said- wake up.

No response, only a loud snore.

-Foaly, wake up! Commander Kelp is waiting for us!

Another snore.

-FOALY!

-Huuuuuuum, yes, yes Cabbie dear…I know how much you love me…

It was of no use. Foaly wasn't waking up even if someone dropped a boulder on his head. If only he could find a way to wake him up…

Artemis looked around and immediately found it. A small, grey item about the size of a telephone. He approached Foaly as slowly was possible and gently touched him with the device. Foaly jumped and almost hit Artemis with a kick.

-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! PLEASE, NOT THE GLUE FACTORY! I PROMISE I'LL BE A GOOD HORSIE…

-Alright, -said Artemis as he got up from the floor- that was…unexpected.

-WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, FOWL? THAT THING IS USED TO RECHARGE ELETRONICS, NOT TO ELETROCUTE PEOPLE!

-You should be thankful; I saved you from the Glue Factory.

-…this dialogue never happened.

-Of course. Now, let's go. Have you finished the device yet?

-Yeah, I was just waiting for you to show up. How did the…_thing_ go?

-As expected.

-Oh, okay then.

-Shall we go? Commander Kelp is waiting for us.

As they were about to leave the room, Artemis stopped in front of door.

-What are you doing? - asked Foaly.

-Waiting for you to open the door for me.

-And why would I do that?

-Because you are a good horsie.

Foaly opened the door.

-I hate you.

-Keep repeating that. Maybe, one day, you'll believe it.

* * *

-Are you sure this is going to work? - asked Trouble Kelp as he looked at the special glove Foaly had built;

-Of course I'm sure. - Foaly responded- Do you really think I would let anyone test a device when I'm not sure of its capacity?

-Yes, -said Artemis, Holly and Trouble at the same time- you would.

-I'll try not to take that as an insult.

-It was not an insult, it was a fact.

-…Holly, please put on the glove.

Holly did as he ordered. The ''glove'' was actually a device created by Foaly to help during interrogations. It was made of a special fabric that made the user's body focus a lot of magic in the tip of their fingers, and when he or she touched another person, the glove released all the magic, causing the person body to ''over-load'' and lower their natural body defenses. Foaly hoped that, if they used the glove of Potwór, they would be able to get some answers about the masked woman. The only problem was that, if the magic charge was too big, Potwór could be killed, but it was a risk they had to take.

It took about 3 minutes for the glove to suck most of Holly's magic, and when it was done, the fingertips began to glow. Gently, she touched Potwór's forehead and a wave of blue energy invaded his body. It was all so fast that the wave threw Holly backwards, but Trouble managed to catch her. It was a good thing Potwór was cuffed to a chair, or else he might have fainted. His face was pale and there were small, blue sparks floating around his head.

-I can't believe that actually worked-Artemis said.

-Hah, I told you! Now, if Holly and her boyfriend there are finished hugging, can we please do what we came here to do?

By ''hugging'', Foaly meant the fact that Trouble was still holding Holly. She did not have time to realize what was happening, but Trouble was. In fact, he seemed quite happy, but the minute Foaly said the word ''boyfriend'', he let go and Holly stumble forward in embarrassment, both of them were blushing.

-First of all- Holly said- HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! Second: out, all of you.

-What?

-Out- Trouble said- This is official LEP Recon business. Foaly, you should go back to analyzing the evidence.

-And Artemis is going to help you -Holly completed- Now, out!

-Ok then. Let's go, Artemis. Let's leave the lovebirds alone.

They barely had time to protest before Foaly shut the door on them.

-Hah, that was hilarious! Did you _see_ the way Kelp's face turned red I when I called Holly his girlf…Artemis? Helloooooo, Artemis? Are you even listening?

Artemis's face had also turned red, but for a different reason. He had completely ignored Foaly and kept muttering something to himself:

-…''boyfriend'', right! Not only does he has the audacity to kick me out of the room, ME, but he still keeps bothering Holly with those…with those…silly assumptions!

-Silly assumptions?

-Yes! And you didn't help either! I really don't understand what is happening to her! All this ''Opal'' business has weighted on her mind. Holly would NEVER let someone make fun of her and this way, but still she did nothing! And Commander Kelp's…attitude did not help at all! Really, Foaly, this is NOT a good time for this kind of joke and…

He was so busy talking that he didn't even notice when they ran into Butler on the hallway, and it had been necessary for him to pull Artemis by the collar of his shirt to make him realize he was going the wrong way.

-Oh, hello Butler. Is the shuttle to Fowl manor ready? Good. If anyone needs me, I will be there.

And then he left, but it was still possible to hear him talking to himself.

-What happened to him?-asked Butler, looking extremely surprised. - He looked…angry.

-Don't worry about it. He's just jealous because Trouble hit on Holly

-I'M NOT JEALOUS! I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION, THAT'S ALL!

Foaly looked at Butler.

-See? What did you tell you? Jealous as a sprite that isn't flying.

Butler always tried to be as professional as possible, but the smile had been impossible to contain.

* * *

Holly and Trouble left the interrogation room together. It took them about one hour to get all the information they could out of Potwór, but it had been worth it. They had discovered that, for the last 6 months, the masked woman was trying to find partners for some kind of plan, but Potwór was the only one who had accepted a society. The woman had ordered him and his gang to kidnap creatures from the People with the guarantee that he would receive a large sum of money, but he had received nothing. Once he had captured someone, his men would deliver him or her to the woman in a location sent via communicator. The delivery point was different every time, and so was the signal from the communicator, making it impossible to track it to an exact location. He had no idea who the woman was or what she was planning, but he kept talking about a ''special target'' she was paying double for, but when it came to the target's name, he managed to resist.

When they had gotten enough information, Kelp had ordered Potwór to be sent to Atlantis and agreed to let Holly command the investigation. It was very late, so Police Plaza was almost empty except for the two of them.

-So, - Trouble asked- where are you going now?

-Home. I think I still need time to process the fact they we're never going to have to deal with Opal again. It always seemed so…impossible.

-Tell me about it. But Holly, if you're going home…be careful. I'm going to issue a warning for people to be careful on the streets, and thought it was better to start with you.

-Don't worry, Trubs.-she said, making sure to use her best smile to reassure him.- No kidnapper is going to mess with me, you don't have to worry.

-Trust, it's not you I'm worried about, it's them.

Holly smiled again and left. She thought about saying goodbye to the porter, but since he was always wearing that gas mask, she never knew if he was sleeping or not. It was better not to risk it.

Surprisingly enough, it was a calm night in Haven city. Holly had never been much of a fan of the night, the thought of that, in the surface, the stars were shining and the moon was bright made her feel envious of the Mud People, so she always tried her best to ignore nighttime, but not today. It had been a pleasant ride to her apartment, but there was one thought that absolutely refused to leave her mind:

-I can't believe Opal is gone…for _good_ this time. Maybe Artemis was right, those were just stupid dreams. She can't bother us anymore. It's over.

_Finally_, for the first time in years, they were safe. The People were safe, the Mud-Man were safe, her friends were safe, she was safe. It was the dawn of a day, and everything was fine.

That is, until the first explosion knocked Holly to the ground and nearly made her pass out.

* * *

**First of all, jealous-Arty is HILARIUS! Seriusly, I just couldn't stop laughing at the part where Butler had to pull Arty's shirt to make him realiez he was going the wrong way. I almost made Butler do nothing. I mean, just imagine ARTEMIS FOWL WALKING AROUND POLICE PLAZA BEING ALL LIKE ''TO HELL WITH TROUBLE KELP, I'M HOLLY BOYFRIEND!''! My life is complete just by imaginating that :)**

**Second, I am a very nice person. I was planning to make a Trouble/Holly and get him all like ''this is my chance, I'm pretty sure Holly likes me'' and then I would make her SMASH HIS HEART IN A VERY SAD SCE...okay, not ''smash'' his heart, but there was going to be drama. Honestly, I'm sick of Worried-Holly. Next chapter, we'll get Badass Captain-Holly again, yay :)**

**Oh, and here's a riddle for you guys: if 2 devious little boys tried to play a prank on a dwarf, and there was no one around to stop them, how would they do it? Here's a hint: an address and a basement full of...?**

**The answer is going to be revealed in the next chapter(holy cow, am I going to have fun writing this...). Stay tuned cause it's coming soon :)**


	8. Demons and Angels

Before I start the fic, here's a message:

I haven't read ''The Last Guardian'' yet (but I know what happens in the end, just read my Author's Note), and in case you haven't noticed, this fic is set 13 months after the events of ''The Atlantis Complex''. Anything from the actual book that pops in here is total coincidence, and since it will take me a while to get the book, the story will be totally different.

Everything settled? OK, we can start the chapter now.

_Fowl Manor-A few minutes before the bombings at Haven City._

-Eagle 2 is in position.

-Positive, Eagle 2. Is the bait ready?

-Yep. The trap is set.

-Excellent. All we have to do now is wait for the target.

-Huuuuuuuuuum, Myl…I mean, Eagle 1, are you sure _it_ is going to fall for that?

-Of course I'm sure. Trust me, this plan is flawless. But be sure to pay attention and keep you walkie-talkie at hand, I can't see anything from where I'm standing.

-Why do I have to keep watch when we have that sensor?

-Because…hold on! The sensor got it! Target is on the move and it's heading right for the bait! Beckett, back to the Nest, NOW!

By ''nest'', Myles mean the stairway that led to the basement. The siblings had been hiding there for about an hour, but finally, the wait was over. Myles was dying to show _it_ to Artemis, he would be so jealous! His mother was going to be very proud to, better yet, she would…

-MYLES, ITS COMING!

The earthquake was so strong that it knocked both of them to the ground. Dirt and stone were flying around the room and _it _must have hit the grid, for the sound of pounding metal was so loud that the entire manor must have heard it. It was a good thing their parents were away for the week, or else they might have thought the Manor was being eaten…

…and that was exactly what Artemis thought when the earthquake also knocked him to the ground. At first, he had been afraid another troll had entered the Manor, and when he managed to get up, he went straight for the basement. It was the only point of entrance to the house that could not withstand a troll, and worse, he couldn't find his brothers anywhere. What if they were down there? What if they were hurt? The closer he got, the louder were the noises. Something definitely was inside that room, and Butler wasn't there. Just what was happening?

He opened the door and, instead of finding a giant, carnivore monster, he saw his brothers, both with dirt in their clothes, looking at some glass-cage on the floor, the same one that was used on Opal.

-That doesn't look like a mole- Beckett said.

-Because it isn't one- completed Myles. –But I have no idea _what_ it is.

-Just what are you two doing?! You almost put the Manor down! What if you had gotten hurt?!

The twin turned around with a jump, surprised of their brother's sudden arrival. Even Myles seemed scared.

-We were just trying to lure it here! We didn't want to hurt it!-said Myles.

-Lure _what?_

They stepped back and Artemis approached the cage. It smelled heavily of wine and earth, and much to his surprise, inside of it was a familiar figure.

-MULCH?

-Arty, my old friend! How's it going? I just had a little…HIC…meeting with your bros. I thought there were 2 of them, not 4. What's the deal? You Fowls have been…HIC…multiplying lately? You're all sneaky little demons, aren't you? Maybe that's why I…HIC…like you so much.

-Mulch, are you…_drunk?_

-Me? Nah! I'm just a little dizzy. By the way, since when does the earth around your house taste so delicious? Have you guys been planting grapes or…HIC…something? Because I haven't had this fun in ages! In fact, how about a little dance? Prepare, puny humans, for the show of your lives!

He began to spin and move his legs like he was kicking a giant bug. He tried to do a _moon-walk, _but eventually tripped in an invisible stone and fell, but it not enough. He began to do ''earth-angels'' and sing a song about a dwarf named Tyrion, who was a hero in the Battle of Blackwater. No doubt about it, he was drunk, but how? Mulch hated wine, and he was smart enough to have mistaken it for fairy drink, unless…

Artemis picked up a little dirt from the ground and smelled it. He recognized it immediately: it was the same one kept on the barrels in Fowl Manor. Someone had lured him there, infected the earth with wine and then put a metal grid underground as a way to confound him and trap him.

-Myles, Beckett, did you do this?

-Myles though it was a mole who could read! I wanted to keep it as a pet, so I helped him! He's the one who had the idea!

-What? A mole who could read?

-For the last 2 years, my sensor had indicated that a creature had been prowling the area around the manor in an underground tunnel. It knew the way over here, so I deduced it was intelligent. We left a piece of paper with the address of the manor and a time so it would come here so I could finally figure out what it was. Since it dug tunnels, we used the wine from the basement and you glass-cage to trap it.

-And how, exactly, did you get the design for my glass-cage?

-I hacked into your computer. It took me 3 weeks to figure out the password because of the booby-traps. What was it, ''Molly''?

-Holly- Beckett corrected- Who's Holly, Arty? Is she your girlfriend?

-No! Look, it doesn't matter. You two are safe and the Manor isn't destroyed, but I never, ever, want to find you in my computer again. There are dangerous things there, things you wouldn't know how to deal with. I will keep this a secret, but do it again and I will tell Mother.

The very mention of Angeline Fowl's name made the twins shiver. She was a caring, loving mother, but did not tolerate when her children did bad things on purpose. She also knew that Artemis kept almost all of his information on the fairies in his computer, and had instructed the twins never to mess with it.

-All right, you've won. But, Artemis, how do know this…creature?

He sighted, explaining this was not going to be an easy task.

-I will tell everything as soon as Butler and I clean up this mess. Call him and then go to your room. And remember…

They said at the same time:

_-Don't…tell…Mother!_

They left and a few minutes later, Butler entered the room. The instant he saw all the mess, he looked at Artemis, ready to ask what the hell he had done, but Artemis said:

-Trust me. For the first time in my life, I have nothing to do with this.

* * *

Two hours later, the basement had been cleaned, the twins had been informed (and had to promise to **never, ever, EVER **mess with magic without his permission and presence) and, after a dose of sedative, Mulch was resting comfortably in Butler's room. Artemis was trying to contact Holly or Foaly, but so far, no progress. Something was definitively wrong. Holly might have been on a mission, but Foaly never ignored his calls.

He couldn't explain it, but he had the strange feeling that they were in trouble. It was not common for him to make such harsh conclusion without evidence, but he was sure he was right. His brain would never let him do that, but it was not his brain that had done it, it had been…oh, how do commoners call it? His ''gut''? No, not his gut, but perhaps his heart?

-Did you manage to connect with Haven? - Butler asked as he entered the room.

-No. I even tried Foaly's private line, but he didn't answer.

-Maybe it's just a failure in the system?

-Even if it was, Foaly would realize I was trying to reach him. Something happened down there, something big enough to destroy Haven's communication system. We should return there immediately.

-Artemis, if something really did happen, it's better if we wait here until everything is fixed. The fairies can handle themselves, you know that. And if they needed you, Holly would already be by that window, filling you on the situation and…

He was interrupted by the sound of Artemis's communicator. He picked it up faster than Mulch eating barbecue and Foaly's worried face filled the screen. He could hear the sound of people screaming and could see smoke and burning buildings. The communicator Foaly was using belonged do Holly, but where was she?

-Artemis, thanks the Gods you picked up!

-What happened? I have been trying to reach you for almost an hour!

-I don't have time to explain! Just listen, do you still have that shuttle?

-Yes, why?

-Great. Call Butler and get down here RIGHT NOW. Don't even bother to say goodbye to your brothers, just get your computer and go! I'll explain everything when you get here.

-Alright, just tell Holly to meet me at the shuttle port and I will go.

-She can't.

-Why?

Foaly remained silent.

-Foaly, _where is Holly?_

-She's…she's gone, Artemis.

* * *

_Haven City-Two hour before._

Haven had gone to Hell, literally. The explosion where coming from everywhere. Holly managed to get up and every time she set her eyes on a building, it was engulfed in a giant ball of fire. There was a little of blood dripping down her forehead, but she didn't pay attention. She ran back to Police Plaza, trying to dodge the flames. People were running like a bunch of penguins trying to escape a seal. There was no safe place to run to, but it did not matter. As long as they ran, the deathly fires would not catch them. The crowd had knocked Holly to ground twice, everything in her body screamed in pain and confusion, even her brain. Why was she running in the opposite direction? She was supposed to be with the rest of Haven, running _away _from the explosions, not towards then. But her brain just had to shut up; it was the heart that ruled in situations like this.

She was just about to enter Police Plaza when she something leaving the ground: a shuttle, and it did not belong to the LEP. It was trying to leave the city. The cowards had decided to burn down _her _city and escape in one of _her_ shuttles. Oh, _that_ was the last straw. She entered Police Plaza and ran to the storage room. Ever since Foaly had installed computers with unlimited supply of data-holding, and that was why he figured it was the best place to hide his new invention. She found shelf 19-5-3-18-5-20, which, when you substituted the numbers for letters, formed the word SECRET, and pushed it. Behind it there was a small keyboard. Holly typed the code and a door opened, leading to a dark hangar. The lights turned on automatically, and in the center of hangar, there it was, the _Angel_. Probably the best flying machine above and under the ground.

Made of a special, rare metal called Argentumdeorum, the _Angel_ was a small, cocoon shaped device made for extreme flying. Its normal speed was faster than all of the shuttles in Haven put together, and it's retractable, silver wings made it easier to move and maneuver. Foaly had created it especially for her. It had never been tested before, instead, it had spent its entire ''life'' locked in a dark room, waiting to come out of the shadows, longing for freedom.

-Well, you don't have to wait anymore, big guy. It's time to kick some ass.

The inside was just like the one of a normal shuttle, but the minute Holly took control of it, she realized it was different. The latch on the roof opened, and for a minute, the _Angel _stopped in the air, with its wing activated. It really did look like an angel…

…until it took off so fast that Holly flew backwards and hit the shuttle wall. Luckily, she managed to grab the controls before the _Angel_ crashed into anything. Everyone in Haven stopped to see the bright, white flash that left Police Plaza, flying over the city like a bird. Luckily, the rogue shuttle had left a trail, so Holly was able to follow it. Everything was going smoothly until Foaly's face appeared in of the screens.

-HOLLY, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? THAT THING HASEN'T BEEN TESTED! WHAT IF YOU BREAK IT?

-It's good to see you too, Foaly.

-Trouble is going nuts here looking for you. Heck, everyone is. You should be down here helping, not playing eagle with my ship!

-I saw a shuttle leaving the city, it wasn't one of ours. Whoever did this is trying to get away, so I'm going after them. Any idea what started the explosions?

-Didn't have time to analyze anything, I just got here. I was on the middle of a date with Caballine and…hold on a minute…yeah, I got her here…BUT MY SHIP…oh, alright!

-What's the matter?

-New orders. Trouble wants you to get those idiots and bring them here, but BE CAREFUL. I'll help you guide the _Angel_ to the rogue shuttle, but try not to destroy anything, okay? I'm sending a signal right now.

A few seconds later, a red and a white dot appeared on a mini-map of Haven installed on the _Angel._ The red dot was ahead of her, but she could catch it. It was heading for a part of the city known for being a hangout spot for criminals. Holly turned the _Angel_ around and followed it. The shuttle was getting as far away from the city as it could, and soon the glowing buildings were replaced by cavern walls. According to the map, she was closing in on the shuttle, but she couldn't see it.

-Okay, Holly-said Foaly. - I think I know where those guys are heading to. You know the old shuttle-racing track? The one that was abandoned a little while before the goblin revolution?

-Yeah, what about it?

-It looks like there's a tunnel next to the finish line that leads right through the surface. It's right on a populated area, too. If you don't get them before they reach it, it's going to be one heck of a surprise for those Mud-People.

-Got it. I'm getting near the track. I'll call you back when I get there.

The communication ended and Holly focused on the controls. A few years ago, some criminals had stolen some LEP shuttles and then started their own racing business. Thousands of people cheered as they watched the brave pilots dodge rocks, lava and of course, the other shuttles as they tried to get to the finish line. The LEP had found out about it by accident, but quickly arrested everyone involved, leaving the track abandoned. It was weird that they hadn't found out about the tunnel, but the goblin revolution had struck soon after, so everyone eventually forgot about it. Holly was closing in on the beginning of the track when she realized the rogue shuttle had stopped on the starting line. Its motors were shut down, but there was smoke coming from them. Holly got closer, but it still didn't move. Were they waiting for her?

She stopped the _Angel_ right next to the shuttle, but still it didn't move. Suddenly, a red light flashed before them. The shuttle's motors began to light up.

_A red light…_

5 seconds later, a yellow light began to flash. Holly realized what was happening: the _Angel's _motor also began do light up. They had picked a fight with the wrong pilot.

_3…_

_2…_

_1…_

_GREEN LIGHT!_

Both the shuttles took off at maximum speed. Holly decided to stay a little behind just to make sure they wouldn't escape. They cavern walls passed by so fast that she almost didn't notice the lava waterfalls. Both of then flew in zigzag, but the _Angel_ was a ship made for maneuver, so waterfalls were quickly behind her. The sharp, falling rocks proved to be a little more difficult. Holly had to fly as close to the ground as possible, and sometimes she came really close to crashing, but in the end, they were no match for her. It was getting difficult to dodge the traps _and_ keep an eye on the shuttle, but fortunately, it was also too busy to keep an eye on _her._ The last obstacle appeared in front of them: a large crater leading deep underground. Holly knew that, if she fell, she wouldn't be able to climb back, but if she jumped now, the speed she was in would cause an impact so great the _Angel_ would be destroyed. She stopped a on the edge of the crater, backed up a little…

…and jumped. She could feel the gravity pulling her down, but the _thump_ the shuttle made when it hit the ground brought her back to reality. She had no idea if the other shuttle had made it; all that mattered was getting to the finish line. After a few minutes, she realized she was grabbing the controls so hard her hand was red. She looked at the map: the finish line was just a few miles away, she had done it! A small smile made the way to her face. She just needed to make the last curve and she would catch them. She was already turning the _Angel_.

She was still smiling when the shuttle crashed into her. It was all happening so fast that she didn't even had time to process the pain. Pieces of metal and dirt were flying everywhere, and she hit the shuttle wall with such strength that, for a second, her whole body felt numb. And that _before_ it crashed on the ground.

She felt the cuts, the broken bones and whatever else on her body that was hurt. The _Angel _was nothing but a pile of rubbish, and Holly nothing but a broken elf lying on the ground. Her healing magic was working as fast as it could, but it wasn't enough. Before she passed out she saw the shuttle, the one that was waiting for her in the turn, land a few meters away from her. Four goblins exited the shuttle and began to walk in her direction. One took a walkie-talkie out of his pocket and said, just before her eyes closed:

-This is Tropo to the Boss: special target has been successfully acquired.

* * *

**1-Sorry if I got the twins wrong. I haven't read TLG yet, so I only know their personalities through spoilers and books 6 an 7.**

**2-Sorry for taking so long to upload this. It's just that my birthday came and I got a dog and I have to take care of her, etc. You know the deal.**

**3-PLEASE tell me that at least SOMEONE got the ''Tyrion and the Battle of Blackwater'' joke.**

**4-I know the fic's a bit missing the whole ''character development'' subject, but it's getting better on the next chapters, I promise. Sh*t really needs to get down for the characters to evolve.**

**5-Don't worry, I know it doesn't sounds like it, but this is a Artemis/Holly fic. I know we conplain about Trouble, but there's nothing better than a romantic-competition to make a ship interesting. **

**6-DRUNK MULCH IS THE BEST.**

**7-I just realized this: remember in that TLG video when Eoin almost called Holly Artemis's girlfriend? WHAT IF THEY STARTED DATING AFTER THE END OF THE BOOK, BUT EOIN DIDN'T WANT TO SPOIL IT? HE SAID IT HIMSELF THAT HE THOUGH ARTEMIS WAS GOING TO FALL IN LOVE! IT'S A SIGNAL FROM THE SKIES(not really, but you understood what I meant)! So, what do you guys think? OPINIONS, OPINIONS!**


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